The Soldier Boy | Page 5

had not been
uniformly successful, though the captain believed that his earthly
possessions, after discharging all his liabilities, would amount to about
five thousand dollars.
The mortgage note would become due in June, and Captain Somers had
been making a strong effort to realize upon his property, so as to enable
him to pay off the obligation at maturity. Captain Somers had a brother
who was familiarly known in the family as uncle Wyman. He had spent
his life, from the age of eighteen, in the South, and at the time of which
we write, he was a merchant in Norfolk.

Captain Somers and his brother had been interested together in certain
mercantile transactions, and uncle Wyman being the business man, had
the proceeds of these ventures in his own hands.
On the 10th of April, only two days before the bombardment of Fort
Sumter, Captain Somers had sailed in the Gazelle, with an assorted
cargo, for Norfolk. Before leaving home he had assured his wife that he
should not return without effecting a settlement with Wyman, who had
postponed it so many times, that the honest sailor began to fear his
brother did not mean to deal justly with him. Nothing had been heard of
the Gazelle since her departure from Boston.
Uncle Wyman was known to be a northern man with southern
principles, while his brother, though not in the habit of saying much
about politics, was fully committed on the side of the government, and
was willing to sustain the President in the use of all the coercion that
might be necessary to enforce obedience to the laws. The threatening
aspect of affairs at the South had made Captain Somers more than ever
anxious to have his accounts adjusted, as all his earthly possessions,
except the schooner, were in the hands of his brother; and the fact that
uncle Wyman was so strong an advocate of Southern rights, had caused
him to make the declaration that he would not return without a
settlement.
The financial affairs of the Somers family, therefore, were not in a very
prosperous condition, and the solvency of the house depended entirely
upon the adjustment with uncle Wyman. The mortgage note which
Squire Pemberton held would be due in June, and as the creditor was
not an indulgent man, there was a prospect that even the little cottage
and the little farm might be wrested from them.
The family at home consisted of Mrs. Somers and three children. The
two oldest daughters were married to two honest, hard-working
fishermen at the Harbor. Thomas and John were twins, sixteen years of
age. The former had a place in one of the stores at the village, and the
latter occasionally went a fishing trip with his brothers-in-law. Both of
the boys had been brought up to work, and there was need enough now
that they should contribute what they could to the support of the family.
The youngest child, Jane, was but eleven years of age, and went to
school. Mrs. Somers's brother, a feeble old man, a soldier in the war of
1812, and a pensioner of the government, had been a member of the

family for twenty years; and was familiarly known in town as
"Gran'ther Green."
Having thus made our readers acquainted with Pinchbrook and the
Somers family, we are prepared to continue our story.
Thomas and John walked down to the Harbor together after dinner. The
latter had listened with interest and approbation to his brother's account
of the "Battle of Pinchbrook," as he facetiously called it; and perhaps
he thought Thomas might need his assistance before he reached the
store, for Fred and his father would not probably be willing to let the
matter rest where they had left it.
We are sorry not to be able to approve all the acts of the hero of this
volume; but John, without asking our opinion, fully indorsed the action
of his brother.
"Fred is a traitor, and so is his father," said he, as they passed out at the
front gate of the little cottage.
"That's so, Jack; and it made my blood boil to hear them talk," replied
Thomas. "And I couldn't help calling things by their right names."
"Bully for you, Tom!" added John, as he turned round, and glanced at
the house to assure himself they were out of the hearing of their mother.
"Between you and me, Tom, there will be music in Pinchbrook
to-night."
He lowered his voice, and spoke in tones big with mystery and heavy
with importance.
"What do you mean?" asked Thomas, his interest excited by the words
and manner of his brother.
"There is fun ahead."
"Tell me what it's all about."
"You won't say a word--will you?"
"Of course I won't."
"Not to